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Friendlier sprays appropriate for a natural getaway

My friend Paul one day found himself in a tricky situation. He was at home getting ready for his date to arrive. They had planned to meet each other downstairs and they would then take one car to the restaurant. He had just exited the bathroom when she unexpectedly knocked on his door. She had left work a bit early and was ready to go, but desperately needed the loo before they left.

Paul was now in a difficult situation as even though he had used his air freshener, he was not at all keen to let her into the bathroom. This was after a long session on the porcelain throne, during which he had managed to read three FHM articles. He toyed with the idea of saying it was broken, but in the end said of course she could.

He then waited for her to finish up, half expecting her to come bolting out of the bathroom and out the front door never to be seen again. When she did come out, all she said was how much she loved his air freshener, the grapefruit scent and where could she get some.

Passing the test with flying colours

He was very pleased and on the date told her about what had happened. She thought it was hilarious and again commented on the Better Earth Air Freshener. He duly called me to congratulate us on the “glorious bad odour hiding properties” of our air freshener. “It had been put to the test and passed with flying colours,” he said.

I would like to say that they got married and lived happily ever after, but they didn’t. However, the break-up had nothing to do with his toilet habits.

Natural accommodation with chemical sprays?

It may just be me, but I’m always amazed when we go away to the countryside or a remote farm off the beaten track and the accommodation doesn’t offer an all-natural air freshener. It seems so out of place to be in a beautiful setting out of the city to then use a harmful aerosol spray in the bathroom. Personally, I would rather not use anything at all instead of using a chemical aerosol to hide odours in the bathroom.

When I first got involved in Better Earth, I told my sister I would only do so if our natural cleaning products really worked. I wanted to get everyone to use them, not just eco-conscious citizens. My opinion was that if our products did not work as effectively as (non-biodegradable) conventional cleaning products no one would buy them a second time.

I figured that if people decided to move away from conventional (chemical) cleaning products and tried using 100% bio-degradable, green cleaning products, our products would need to be just as effective, just as pleasant smelling and gentle on the hands. It was very likely that if our products didn’t work just as well, people would go back to the tried and tested products they had used in the past.

Save your hands

When it comes to cleaning bathrooms and toilets it is never the most pleasant job and not exactly something you are keen to jump right into. At least the knowledge that the product has no knock on effects to the broader environment is comforting. Our bathroom and toilet gel is just that and comes with a pine scent which for some reason always seems an appropriate scent for bathrooms.

One of the benefits of using the Better Earth Bathroom and Toilet Cleaner is that it is gentle on the hands. For years I figured having hands that felt like they had been rinsed with bleach was just the price you paid when cleaning the bathroom, but it really doesn’t have to be that way. Another benefit is that the active ingredient is an SABS approved disinfectant, which provides welcome peace of mind.

It took some time but I can say with conviction that our cleaning products honestly do work just as well as conventional cleaning products and that our air freshener has a fantastic fragrance. Don’t just take my word for it; visit our website for some of the feedback received to justify our claims.

By Craig Lees

Save your lungs also

Editor’s note: Some of us are so sensitive to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in regular chemical bathroom sprays that our lungs are irritated immediately. Hence I have to avoid those completely. So whilst this body is often the canary in the goldmine, trust me when I say they are toxic to your body. However, Better Earth’s spray is gentle on the lungs and air passages, causing no irritation. I have learned over and over that good-for-earth is ALWAYS better for us too. Like when using natural dishwashing liquid. My skin cannot handle the chemical version at all. Imagine what that does to the environment?

In fact we use Better Earth also in our battle with Bruno, our male ginger cat who hates going out in the rain. He would rather use a bedside or bathroom mat than to risk a drop of water on his magnificent coat. Drives us nuts! Now you know the smell of cat wee – you never get rid of it. I clean this area with the toilet and bathroom cleaner and spray a pump or two of the natural citrus air freshener and voila! Bruno is beaten.

Turning your home from a toxic to a regenerative and safe space is a journey, but when you find kind and delicious products that work well it makes it such a happy trip.